Hammer handle



April 20,1926. 7 1,581,647

w. '0. LAYTON HAMMER HANDLE Filed Dec. 10, 1924 WILLIAM D. LAYTON INVEVTOR.

Patented Apr. 20, 1926.

- WI D TAT S PA'IENT oF cE.

HAMMER HA DLE;

Application filed December 19,1924. Serial No. 754,959.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that WILLIAM D. LAYToN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at Sebastopol, in the county of Sonoma and State of California, has invented certain new. and useful Improvements in Hammer Handles, of which the following is a specification. My inventioni'elates to an improvement in handles, particularly, such as hammer, base ball bats, golf clubs or handles for implements or articles of sport. I have illustrated my invention applied to a hammer handle: have shown my improved hand grip applied thereto. My invention consists in a hand grip having a series of cavities and depressions for finger grips. The cavities are preferably formed of shallow borings in the face of the handle, with a slight counter sink at the rim. I find these cavities form an excellent hand grip: and when the hand becomes sweaty or wet from perspiration, or by dampening they form a series of vacuum cups.

I also form a series of slight depression in the face of the handle by counter sink cuts or shallow cuts with a rounded drill, or suitable tool. When the handle is made of resilient material such as rubber I prefer to mould the cavities and depressions during the manufacture of the handles.

My invention will be more clearly understood from the accompanying specification and drawings in which Figure 1, isa side elevation of a tool handle, showing my improved hand grip.

Figure 2, is-a cross section of Figure 1 on the line 22 and shows a series of cavities.

Figure 3, is a cross section of Figure 1011 the line 32 and shows a series of shallow depressionsforming finger grips.

Figure l, is a cross section of a covering for a handle, showing cavities, forming vacuum cups and the linger grips. These coverings are preferably made of resilient material.

In the drawings 1 indicates a handle, suitable for use as a hammer handle, having a tapered end 2 to which to secure a hammer and an enlarged opposite end 3. The hand grip portion is indicated at d.

The cavities 5 are preferably made by boring or drilling into the wood of the handle to a slight depth, leaving cylindrical sides 6 and a squared bottom 7. The rims of the cavities are preferably rounded on a curve by counter sinking as indicatedat 8,.

In many tools itis desirable to have fiattened and curved faces; and in suchcases I faces I prefer to have linger grips 22 and 23' on the flat side 2 1 and 25 respectively and finger grips 26 and 27 on the rounded faces 28 and 29 respectively.

My improved hand grip may be used on wooden handles as above described, or may be part of resilient, such' as rubber, handles by moulding therein during the manufacture ofthe handle. My invention may be used with coverings, such as leather, rubber or other material commonly applied to handles of tools or articles of sport to form a hand grip. In such use the cavities and finger grips depressions may be moulded or cut in the covering.

My invention may be modified to suit various purposes and used with different materials, without departing from the spirit of the invention. p

The adaptation of my invention to a covering for handles is shown in Figure d, in which 30 designates a cover of, preferably, resilient material as rubber. The handle is not shown as the cover may be marketed as an article of commerce. The cavities 31 have curved or countersunk rims 32: and the finger grips are indicated at 33. The cavities are sunk in the cover sufficient to act as vacuum cups, but it is desirable to leave a sulficient thickness of material, indicated at 34, to prevent tearing through tothe handle. A covering such as described may be pulled over a handle, wrapped around it or wound spirally on the handle.

My invention of cavities formed in a handle to form vacuum cups, and grasped by a iersons hand are to be distin 'uished from. 1 a hand grip such as small depressions, corrua handle in which said depressions are adapt-' ed or intended to form vacuum cups. In my construction the cavities extend deeply into the body structure of the handle and are intended to be equal to in depth, or greater in depth, than the diameter of the cavity. Moreover, in my handle formed with integral vacuum'cups the Walls are impervious to air and thereby form good vacuum cups. In the type in which the binding is placed on the handle there is no certainty thatlthe binding will form vacuum cups. Moreover, the binding will have to be very thick'to form vacuum cups of suflicient depth to be of any value.

Having described my invention I claim 1. A tool handle of the character described having depressions formedin the operating end thereof flaring and merging into the surface of the handle soas to allow a gently rising knoll of tissue of a gripping hand to project thereinto with central recesses formed inthe depressions allowing the top of each knoll to remain clear of the material of the handle.

2. A tool handle of the character described having depressions formed in the operating end thereof flaring and merging into the-surface of the handle so as to allow a gently rising knoll of tissue of a gripping hand to project thereinto with cylindrical recesses formed in the depressions allowing the top of each knoll to remain clear of the material of the handle. I

Intestimony whereof I afiix my signature.

4 v WILLIAMJ). LAYTON, 

